Hundreds of relatives, fans and former team-mates today packed a funeral service for disgraced former South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje, who died in a plane crash on Saturday.

"All our hearts are aching," Pastor Dave Hooper told the mourners at a church in Grey College in Bloemfontein, Cronje's old school. "The world has lost a great cricketing hero."

More than 1,000 people filled the church. A large screen television and rows of seats were set up outside to accommodate the overflowing crowd of more than 1,000.

The audience included Cronje's family as well as several members of the nation's cricket team, wearing their team jackets. Ali Bacher, the former head of South Africa's United Cricket Board, who had strongly criticised Cronje, was there as well.

Cronje, 32, had been an international cricket star until a match fixing scandal destroyed his reputation.

The charismatic Cronje, who took over South Africa's national team at 25 to become its youngest captain, led South Africa to possibly its greatest triumph, a five-run win over Australia in the Sydney Test of 1994.

But South African fans felt betrayed by their hero six years later after Indian officials announced they had tape recordings of Cronje talking to an Indian bookmaker during the team's tour of the subcontinent.

Several team-mates later told a government commission that Cronje once conveyed to them an offer of up to #240,000 to lose a one-day game against India. Cronje denied that, but admitted receiving #70,000 from gamblers in exchange for match information and conveying other offers from gamblers to team-mates.

Cronje was punished with a lifetime ban from the sport.

Cronje, a deeply religious person, dealt with the controversy by turning to his faith, Hooper said.

"It was almost inhuman the way he rose above the pain of the last few years," he said.

Cronje died when the cargo plane he was travelling in crashed into a mountain range outside the George, about 310 miles east of Cape Town. He apparently took the flight after the passenger plane he was scheduled to fly on was cancelled due to bad weather.

Test cricketer Jacques Kallis said Cronje was a very special person who played a major role in his life.

"I hope people will remember him for all the positive things," he said.